Depositing-machine



F. G. SALERNO.

nEPoslTlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZI, 1917. 1 ,342,598. Patented June 8, 1920.

4 SHEElS-SHEET l.

F. G, SALERNO. DEPOSITING MACHINE.-

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1917.

1,342,598. Patented June 8, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

KfZ/724 I QMS flydg F. G. SALERNO.

DEPOSITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION map MAY 21, |917.

1,342,598. Patented June s, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

.5f I l f Z -ffy F. G. SALERNO.

DEPOSITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAY2I, 1917.

1,342,598. Patented June 8, 1920.

4 sIIEIas-SIIEET 4. ZE

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINANDO Gr. SALERNO, OF CHICAGO,` ILLINOIS.

DEPOSITING-MACHINE.

Application filed May 21 T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINANDO G. SA- LERNo, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Depositing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In my Patent No. 1,303,599 dated May 13, 1919, I have described a machine which is adapted to make deposits of any desired plastic or semi-fluid confection upon the tops of fiat cakes or wafers fed through the machine in rows upon the top of a conveyer belt. My present invention relates to the mechanism for feeding or transferring the cakes from the point at which they are supplied by attendants of the machine to proper position under the depositing nozzles to receive charges of confection, and has for its object the provision of feeding mechanism which will accurately space and position oblong or elongated wafers and cakes. IVith this object in View I have devised the feeding mechanism hereinafter described, which may be regarded as in part a modification of and in part supplementary to that shown in my above-mentioned application. One feature of my invention relates to the provision of means for maintaining the successive rows of cakes in approximate, though imperfect alinement, as they are fed from the feedtable to the conveyer belt, and another feature to the provision of rectifying and positioning mechanism whereby the front row of the inaccurately alined rows of wafers are at each forward stroke of the feeding frame straightened and carried into exact and accurate registration with the depositing nozzles. My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of coperating parts, modified in form as compared with my prior machine, or supplementary thereto, through which I attain the object in view, and which embody the features before mentioned, and incidental and desirable features of construction which will be apparent from the following description, the essential elements of the same being more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a depositing machine in which my invention is embodied; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the feeding mechanism to which my invention particularly relates, the

'Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Serial No. 169.928.

depositing mechanism situated above one end of the same being removed; Fig. 3 is a top view, on a large scale, of the front portion of the feeding mechanism showing a slightly modified form of the cam bars, the feeding frame being in forward position and near the end of its stroke; Fig. 4 is a section, also on a relatively large scale, of that part of the machine shown in Fig. 3, and taken on the line 1r-4l of such figure; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top view, on a larger scale than either F ig. 2 or Fig. 3, of the front part of the feeding frame, the frame being in rearward position; Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, the parts beyond the line being shown in elevation; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a modified form of my invention, and Fig. 8 a cross-section through the bail and sliding feeding bar at the rear of the feeding frame.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures of the drawing.

My present invention is illustrated and will be described as embodied in any forming part of a machine of my before-mentioned patent, and it will be understood thatl a Upon a cross-rod 1 which forms part of the fixed frame of the machine is pivoted a rocking table 2, the flat top of which supports an endless conveyer belt 3 which at its rear end is given through suitable operating connections an intermittent movement by a driving drum 4 journaled in the table and which at its front end travels around a narrow bar (not shown) adjustably supported in the frame of the machine. The front end of the table is, in the present instance, though not necessarily, supported and given an intermittent vertical oscillating movement by connections which it is unnecessary here to describe, but which are fully described in my patent above referred to.

Above the rear end of the conveyer belt is arranged a distributing table 5, at the front of which is a reciprocating slide 6 which acts to drop successive rows of cakes onto the surface of the belt as it is intermittently withdrawn rearwardly under the surface of the table. The cakes for which the present feeding `mechanism is designed are relatively considerably longer than wide, and usually are rounded at their ends, though they may be square-cornered, and the feeding mechanism is designed to present them to the depositing nozzles arranged lengthwise of the machine, that is, with their longer axes in the line of travel of the conveyer belt, this arrangement being desirable in order that the cakes may pass smoothly off the front end of such belt, without liability of rolling, as would be the case were they arranged transversely of the same. In

order that the cakes may be dropped upon the conveyer belt in positions extending approximately lengthwise of the same, there is provided a spacing bar 7 secured at its ends to opposite sides of the table and having lingers 7a extending rearwardly over the slide 6, in between which lingers the cakes are arranged to be placed on the slide by attendants of the machine,

Forwardly of the distributing table and slide just described, is arranged a lifting frame 10, (see Figs. 1 and 4) said frame comprising side plates 11, and cross-bars 12, and being supported uponvthe front arms of a front pair of bell crank levers 13, and a rear pair 14, intermediately keyed to the rock shafts 15 and 16, respectively, such rock shafts being journaled at their ends in bearing brackets fixed to the pivoted table 2. The lower arms of the front pair of levers 13 are pivotally connected by links 17 to the lower arms of the rear pair of levers 14, and such last-mentioned lower arms are connected by a cross rod 18 so that the bell cranks and shafts may be rocked in unison by means of a link 19 pivotally connected to the cross rod 18, through suitable operating connections, to raise and lower the frame 10.

Each of the side plates 11 of the lifting frame carries upon its inner face a front pair of rollers 20 and a rear pair of rollers 2l, the top rollers and bottom rollers on the two side plates engaging the top and bottom surfaces of the side members 22 of a reciprocating feeding` or wafer-spacing frame comprising such side members and crossbars 23 spacing the side members apart and securing them together.

To the rear end of the feeding frame is pivoted a bail consisting of side members 24 and a cross-bar 25 to which is flexibly connected a sliding feeding bar 26. In the present instance the'cross-bar 25 of the bail rests upon a longitudinal step formed at the rear of the feeding bar 26, and headed screws 27 passing loosely through holes in the bar 25 hold the parts together but permit a slight hinging play between them. The front edge of the feeding bar, which latter rests slidingly on the surface of the conveyer belt, is formed with notches which are relatively deep, rounded at the bottom, and the sides of which spread apart from the rear to front. Extending across the feeding frame from side to side are a series of notched feeding bars 28 regularly spaced apart, which, as in the present instance, may be conveniently secured to the cross bars 23. The form of the notches in these bars is the same as that of the notches in the sliding feed bar 26.

At the extreme forward end of the feeding frame is arranged the rectifying and alining mechanism which operates on the successive rows of wafers to straighten and position them exactly in alinement with the nozzles of the forcing or depositing mechanism. This mechanism comprises two sliding finger plates, a lower plate 29 and upper plate 30, both somewhat shorter than the distance between the side members 22 of the feeding frame. In the present instance, for convenience of manufacture, the finger plate structures are each constructed of two parts; the lower member comprising a finger bar 29 formed with upstanding fianges 29a and forwardly directed fingers 43 (hereinafter more fully described) and al bottom plate 29b riveted to the bar, and the upper member comprising a similar bar 30 having depending flanges 30a and a series of fingers 44, to which is riveted a top plate 30h. The lower and upper finger bars are arranged respectively below and above the foremost cross bar 23 of the feeding frame, and are slidingly confined thereto by means of a pair of headed studs 31 which are tapped into the lower sliding plate 29 and pass through elongated slots in the cross-bar 23 and upper finger plate structure, a washer 32 and cotter pin 33 being provided to engage the upper face of the plate 30h. The plate 29b projects rearwardly from the bar 29, and the plate 30' rearwardly from the bar 30, and `in the space between the projecting portions of the plates is arranged a tension spring 34, anchored at one end to a stud 35 on the adj acent end of the plate 29b and at the other end to a stud 36 on the end of the plate 3()b to which it is adjacent, which spring serves to yieldingly draw the plates in opposite directions, one toward one side of the feeding frame and the other toward the opposite side. Adjacent the outer end of the lower plate 29, that is, the end which is spring-pressed toward the adjacent side member 22 of the feeding frame, such plate is provided with a roller 37 adapted to cooperate with a cam bar 38 adjustably secured to the adjacent side plate 11 of the lifting frame; and the upper plate 30 is similarly equipped with a roller 39 arranged to cooperate with a like cam bar 40 on the opposite side of the feeding and lifting frames. The cam bars 38 and 40 are respectively bolted to the opposite side plates 11 of the lifting frame by bolts 41 passing through slots which permit longitudinal adjustment of such bars. The forward portions of the bars are bent inwardly toward each other, and a slight but sufficient degree of lateral adjustment of the bars is provided for by screws 42 threaded in the side plates 1l of the lifting frame and bearing against the bars, which are elastic enough to yield under the pressure of the screws. Preferably the pitch of the cam surface is gradual and extends nearly but not quite the full length of stroke of the feeding frame, terminating in a short dwell at the forward end, see Fig. 1. If desired, however, the cam surfaces may spread apart slightly toward the end of the stroke to better clear the wafers, as shown at 38a and 4()a in Fig. 3. j

The forward edge of the lower sliding plate 29 is provided with a series of forwardly extending fingers 43, and the forward edge of the upper sliding plate 30 is provided with a series of similar fingers 44, the position and arrangement of the fingers on the plates being such that when the rollers 37 and 39 engage the rear portions of the cam bars 38 and 40, the end finger 43 at the outer end of the plate 29 and the end linger 44 at the outer end of the plate 30 will be adjacent opposite sides of the feeding frame their maximum distance apart, and the inner fingers 43 and 44 will be backed up against each other approximately in registration, but free to move apart.

The feeding frame is reciprocated in the lifting frame through a pair of links 45 which are pivoted respectively to the opposite side members 22 of the feeding frame and to a pair of rock arms 46-46 keyed to a rock shaft 47, this rock shaft being oscillated by suitable connections which need not be particularly described. It will be understood that as in my prior machine the lifting frame and feeding frame are reciprocated in synchronism to produce a fourway movement of the latter frame, such frame moving forwardly adjacent the surl face conveyer belt to move the wafers toward the front, then lifting and moving rearwardly, then dropping to the position first-mentioned, and repeating this cycle of movements so long as the machine is in operation. The step-by-step movement of the conveyer belt takes place while the forward movement of the feeding frame is being ac` complished, but since it is not so great in extent the cakes are shifted forward along the belt a distance equal to the difference between the feeding movement of the feed bars of the feeding frame and the feeding movement of the belt at each step.

dent that as the frame moves from rearmost to forward position, the rollers 37 and 39 ou the plates 29 and 30 will be carried toward each other by the cam bars 38 and 40, and that the series of fingers 43 on the plate 29 and the series of fingers 44 on the plate 30 will shift to narrow the spaces between the pairs of fingers, andaccurately center and aline the cakes in such spaces. The arrangement and adjustment of the parts is such that at the conclusion of the forward stroke the wafers will be left in proper position under the depositing nozzles to receive charges of confection through the action of the forcing mechanism during the interval of rest of the conveyer belt, the row of cakes then being carried forward with such belt at its next step.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention in which the movements of the plates 29 and 30 to narrow the space between the fingers carried by such bars is automatically accomplished in a different manner. In this modification I pro vide a pair of bell-crank levers 48 pivoted to a cross bar 49 carried by the feeding frame, the forwardly extending arms of which are operatively connected to reciprocate the plates 29 and 30, respectively, while the transverse portions of the arms are pivoted to rods 51 which are arranged longitudinally of the machine and extend through bearings 52 mounted on a cross rod 53 secured to the lifting frame, which-bearings they frictionally engage. Preferably means are provided for adjusting the frictional resistance to the degree required, such as the thumb-screws 54. A pair of adjustable stops 55 are provided to limit the movement of the bell-crank levers 48 and consequently the extent of movement of the fingers.

As the feeding frame moves forward, it is manifest that the rods 51 will drag in the bearings 52 and thus slide the finger plates 29 and 30 from the position shown in Fig. 7 to a position similar to that shown in Fig. 3 and center the wafers and that upon the return or rearward stroke of the feeding frame the frictional resistance of the bearings 52 will cause the plates to slide in the opposite direction, to spread the fingers for engagement with the next row.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described7 a feeding frame arranged to reciprocate horizontally, a pair of overlapping plates mounted in said frame and each equipped with a plurality of lingers and arranged to reciprocate transversely of the frame, and means carried by -said frame coperating with a relatively fixed portion of the machine for automatically reciprocating said linger plates.

2. In a machine of the character described, a feeding frame arranged to reciprocate horizontally, a pair of overlapping plates mounted in said frame and each equipped with a plurality of fingers and arranged to reciprocate transversely of the frame, cam members secured to a relatively fixed portion of the machine, and means on said frame including elements coperating with said cam members for automatically reciprocating said finger plates.

3. In a machine of the character described, a feeding frame arranged to reciprocate horizontally, a pair of overlapping plates mounted in said frame and each equipped with a plurality of fingers and arranged to reciprocate transversely of the frame, a pair of cam members respectively secured adjacent the sides of the feeding frame to a relatively fixed portion of the machine at its opposite sides, and contact members carried by said finger plates and cooperating with said cams for automatically reciprocating such plates.

4. In a machine of the character described, a feeding frame arranged to reciprocate horizontally, a pair of overlapping sliding plates each equipped with a plurality of fingers and arranged transversely of the frame, and means intermediate said sliding plates and a relatively fixed portion of the machine for reciprocating them.

In a machine of the character described, a feeding frame arranged to reciprocate horizontally, a pair of spring drawn sliding plates equipped with fingers and mounted transversely in the frame, and means including a pair of cams respectively arranged intermediate said sliding plates and a fixed portion of the machine for reciprocating said plates.

6` In a machine of the character described, a feeding frame arranged to reciprocate horizontally, a pair of overlapping sliding plates each equipped with a plurality of lingers and arranged transversely of the frame, and means governed by the reciprocations of the feeding frame for reciprocating said sliding finger plates.

7. In a machine of the character described, a lifting frame arranged to reciprocate vertically, a feeding frame mounted to reciprocate horizontally in said lifting frame, said feeding frame including a series of transverse notched bars having relatively deep and narrow notches, and means carried by said feeding frame in advance of the forward notched bar for automatically alining cakes fed by the notched bars.

8. In a machine of the character described,

' a lifting frame arranged to reciprocate vertically, a feeding frame mounted to reciprocate horizontally in said lifting frame, said feeding frame including a series of transverse notched bars having relatively deep and narrow notches, and means carried by said feeding frame in advance of the forward notched bar and including two sets of fingers arranged to move transversely in opposite directions for automatically alining cakes fed by the notched bars.

9. In a machine of the character described, a lifting frame arranged to reciprocate vertically, a feeding frame mounted to reciprocate horizontally in said lifting frame, said feeding frame including a series of transverse notched bars having relatively deep and narrow notches, a pair of sliding plates equipped with fingers and mounted transversely in said feeding frame in advance of the forward notched bar, a pair of cam bars secured respectively to opposite sides of said lifting frame, and means intermediate said sliding plates and cam bars for reciprocating such plates.

l0. In a machine of the character described and having a reciprocating feeding frame, rectifying mechanism comprising a pair of sliding plates transversely mounted in said frame and arranged to be simultaneously shifted back and forth in opposite directions between opposite positions, said plates being each equipped with a series of fingers and the two series being in one position of the plates approximately in registration and in the opposite position out of registration, whereby the spaces between the pairs of fingers in said first-mentioned position will be narrowed when the plates are shifted.

ll. In a machine of the character de: scribed, rectifying mechanism according to claim 10 in which the sliding plates are formed as elongated finger bars and said finger bars are mounted upon a cross-bar of the feeding frame.

12. In a machine of the character described, rectifying mechanism according to claim 10 in which the sliding plates are spring drawn inopposite directions by a tension spring connecting the inner ends of such plates.

13. In a machine of the character described, rectifying mechanism according to claim 10 in which the sliding plates are formed as elongated flanged finger bars and said finger bars are mounted above and below a cross-bar of the feeding frame.

14. In a machine of the character described, a rectifying and feeding mechanism comprising a lifting frame arranged to reciprocate vertically, a feeding frame mounted to reciprocate horizontally in said lifting frame, a pair of sliding plates equipped with lingers and mounted to reciprocate transversely in said feeding frame, contact members respectively carried by said sliding plates, and cam bars mounted upon said lifting frame and arranged to coperate with said contact members respectively to shift said sliding finger plates in opposite directions.

15. In a machine of the character described, rectifying and feeding mechanism according to claim 14 in which the cam bars are adjustable to vary the throw of the sliding plates.

16. In a machine of the character described, rectifying and feeding mechanism according to claim 14 in which the cam bars are formed of stiff elastic metal and in which set screws reacting against the lifting frame and bearing against such bars are employed to adjust the same.

17. In a machine 'of the character deaccording to claim 14 in which the cam bars are formed with a straight dwell portion forwardly of the cam portion of the bar.

18. In a machine of the character described, a feeding frame arranged to reciprocate horizontally, a plate mounted in said frame equipped with a set of fingers and arranged to reciprocate transversely of the frame, a second plate overlapping said firstmentioned plate and also mounted in said frame and equipped with a set of fingers, and means for reciprocating said first mentioned plate to narrow and widen alining spaces between the two sets of fingers.

FERDINANDO Gr. SALERNO. 

